Archive for February, 2010


Why don’t you…?

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Why don’t you…

* Drink something different? Vodka and dry ginger ale? Merlot? Whisky on the rocks? Have a fabulous signature drink unlike anyone else?

* Buy you and your best lady matching jewels? Go to the markets and buy two matching wooden bangles? Two woven leather bracelets? Two jade rings? Take this quaint playground tradition and put an adult spin on it?

* Give things away? Those gorgeous sandals that you never wear because they make your feet hurt? That beautiful necklace that you bought but never wear because it’s just not quite right? That hat that doesn’t go with anything? Let go of the sentimental value and pass them on to someone who will love it AND wear it?

* Get regular haircuts? Every six weeks? Not only when you really need one?

* Allow yourself to buy anything that you desire but only if it is utterly perfect? A beautifully fitting cream dress? A deliciously slouchy grey wool hat? The ultimate chunky black wedges? Don’t settle for anything less than amazing?

* Wear a delicate charm on a very fine chain?

* Have a ridiculous amount of pillows on your bed? All different shapes and sizes? Put them in a pile, curl up like a cat and read a divine book?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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Lady’s loves and loathes…

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Lady loves…

* Weekends of bliss – eating sushi, holding Mr Smaggle’s hand, movies, market shopping… sigh!
* Afternoon naps.
* Shamefully… Degrassi the New Generation. It’s so bad it’s delicious.
* Mineral water. Always.
* Going for runs on my lunch break… it means I can come straight home after school instead of going to the gym.
* My students. Last week I was teaching them emotions. I was giving them a scenario that might make them use their ‘angry face’. I said ‘What about when you come from school and you’re REALLY hungry and you go to the cupboard to get a muesli bar and the box is empty? Does that make you angry?’. One of my students (autistic) shouted ‘I HATE WHEN THERE’S NO MUESLI BARS!!!!!’. It was awesome.
* Feeling well again. I don’t do sick.
* My new clogs. Totally cute and OH&S approved footwear for the workshop. I heart Funkis.

Lady loathes…

* Jewellery techniques that aren’t formulaic. I love strict recipes, time limits and specific instructions. Comments like ‘just chuck it in some acid and take it out right before it explodes’ don’t sit so well with me.
* Waiting. For toilets, to be served, for trains to arrive, for people to arrive. I hate waiting.
* Not being able to do theatre. I just can’t commit to the seasons because I live between two cities. I’m starting to go a little nuts…
* Insomnia. I get it like once a year and I’m a total princess about it. Of all the mental ailments that I’m lucky enough to not be cursed with I truly believe that insomnia is the worst.

What about you pie? What do you love and loathe today?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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Daily Style – Chucked a sicky

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I was feeling under the weather today so I chucked a sicky from school. I’ve been going mad not being able to exercise because I can’t breathe through my nose so I went to a Body Balance class. It was perfect. Then I did some designing for my exhibition at the end of the year. I made the mistake of visiting the mega mall up the road that consists of three giant stores – Bunnings, Storage World and Office Works. I just really love tools, boxes and stationary and emptying my bank account buying those things.

* Shorts from Country Road
* Top thrifted in Canberra
* Shoes from Nine West (my first pair of these snapped clean in half and I’ve been waiting for the replacement for weeks. Mr Smaggle brought them from Canberra on the weekend. Thank god. I can’t live without them.)
* Coin necklace from Poppy Smaggle
* Wheelie Bin Necklace from Roomy Smaggle
* Men’s watch from Fossil

Oh and just to let you guys know my internet connection in Melbourne is questionable and it usually lasts just long enough for me to write a post, visit my favourite blogs and write a few emails which is why I’m being slack on replying to comments. Rest assured I do read every one and love you for it!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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Daily Style – A wee bit of a cold

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Today was one of those days… feeling a little sick, a little cranky and a little average. Can’t complain too much though because I’ve been really healthy in general recently.

* Dress from DFO in Melbourne
* Cardigan from Valley Girl
* Pants from Bonds
* Shoes from Funkis (I am so close to ordering more of these shoes… but I can’t decide which ones!)
* Head scarf is a belt from a top
* Earrings from Diva
* Men’s watch from Fossil

Well that’s it from me today. I’m going to lie down now…

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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Are you man enough to be friends with extraordinary people?

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Roomy Smaggle had a bad weekend. She has a friend, lets call her Tina who invited Roomy out to be her wing woman*. The object of Tina’s affection accidently fell for Roomy and told Tina so. Ouch. Poor Tina. Or so we thought…

A few evenings later Roomy and Tina went out for a debrief in which Tina literally tore Roomy to shreds. Obviously she couldn’t attack her for stealing the affections of her intended. It was an accident. With the wounds still raw and no logical reason to hate Roomy she attacked her in every other way. She launched this tirade of negativity about Roomy’s life, job, integrity, friendships, career aspirations and relationships. Roomy took it all in, didn’t make a fuss and then came home to me in search of an explanation.

I know exactly what happened. Roomy is spectacular. She is a physically gorgeous German/Japanese mix, with the fastest metabolism I’ve witnessed on a living person. She looks like she spends the better half of everyday doing squats and eating brocolli and I can assure you she does neither. She is also an incredibly talented designer, jeweller and glass artist with enviable knowledge of the history of art. She has amazing dress sense and is literally sex on the dance floor. She has long dark hair, beautiful eyes and skin. She is also the most generous, loving, energetic, positive and life affirming person I’ve ever met. I’m sure Tina felt the same way until the object of her affection jumped on the Celebration of Roomy bandwagon. Then all hell broke loose. Which, unfortunately is not an uncommon response.

In my opinion we should crave extraordinary people in our lives. Surround ourselves with excellence, intelligence and talent so that we are constantly inspired and our souls are fed. This all sounds great in theory but it’s human nature to want what others have that we ourselves are lacking. I find the jealously plague is particularly strong amongst us humans when it comes to natural gifts like physical appearance, talents and inherited wealth. It can create obstacles in the strongest of friendships.

The question is… are you man enough to handle it? Can you be truly, deeply amazingly good friends with spectacular people? I won’t lie to you. It’s not easy getting up at 6am to go to the gym and have Roomy wander into the lounge room in tiny shorts sporting perfectly firm thighs and devouring her standard breakfast of Tim Tams and Doritos. Want to know what I do? I tell her to shove it. The sore spot is out in the open and there is never an opportunity for my jealously to become mis-directed and turn into something it’s not. Hating her for something that is out of her control is not okay. Telling her is what makes it all better so the jealousy doesn’t bubble away inside me and come out in the form of ‘Actually that guy is out of your league… I think it’s because your hair sucks’.

I have a friend at school who has a really average boyfriend. Like Aldi kind of average. She is incredible so I don’t really understand the connection… but I can’t help but think that she dates people like this on purpose. So she is always the amazing one in the relationship. The thought of that terrifies me. Imagine marrying someone dull simply because you need to win the popularity contest all the time? The same applies to friendships. Why would you surround yourself with average people because spectacular people make you feel inferior?

And that’s what I said to Roomy. I told her it’s hard work being friends with her because she is so into life all the time she makes other people feel lazy, dull or uninspiring. I told her that people need to be man enough to be friends with her and those are the only people she needs to care about. If Tina had just said that she was sad that her guy liked Roomy everything would have been fine and I guarantee she would have walked away from the situation feeling much better than she did. Instead she chose to go to the dark side leaving them both feeling like crap**.

Basically, if someone has a myriad of natural talents, beauty and perfect comic timing bestowed upon them it’s not their fault. You can be uber lame and cut them out of your life and spend time with people who collect rocks***. Or you can man up… and party with the A team****.

Are you man enough?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

* This was a really, really dumb idea. NEVER employ a hot Asian wing woman. The girl is clearly an idiot.

** All is well again with Roomy and Tina. Apologies were made and were graciously accepted. I told you Roomy is awesome.

*** No offense to people who collect rocks. I was merely using the term as a flowery throw away line.

**** Unless they are total knobs in which case you’re better off with the rock collector.

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Daily Style – Date Night

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I’m so ridiculously happy it’s the weekend! My week was great but tiring. I’m teaching a kid who has a phobia of people using computers (I’m serious…) so he belts the shit out of anyone using a computer in the classroom and my teacher assistants and I have spent all day training him not to do this. Meaning I got pinned to the floor (by said child who is very strong, very male and very seventeen years old) at twenty minute intervals throughout the whole day. I pretty much wrestled for 6 hours straight… that means I can skip the gym right?

* Dress from a shop called U Cutie off Puckle Street in Moonee Ponds. I had to cash my pay cheque (hello 1985!) and found this gem today. I like.

* Shoes from Marco Gianni in Canberra

* Coin necklace from Poppy Smaggle

* Wheelie Bin necklace from Roomy Smaggle

* Earrings from Girl Props

* Mens watch from Fossil

I’m currently waiting un-patiently while Mr Smaggle sends me updates as to how delayed his flight is going to be tonight… we are having a date. And he is running really, really late.

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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Daily Style – Teaching

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A quick early morning post because I’m actually not late today. Bizarre.

* Pants from DFO Melbourne

* T-shirt from DFO Melbourne

* Shoes from Funkis

* Earrings gift from my brother

* Men’s watch from Fossil

Off for a day of teaching!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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Smaggle Giveaway Winners!

Hello lovelies. Just a quick one today to announce the winners of the Smaggle Giveaway.

Winners are Dee and Megan!

I’ll email you details of how to claim your prize. Thanks to all those who entered!

Love Lady Smaggle

P.S The date today is 09/02/10… 90210! Hells yeah.

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15 Things you Didn’t Know About the Sex and the City movie.

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I’m a bad SATC fan. Until three days ago I hadn’t seen the movie since the DVD release. SJP forgive me for I have sinned. I have to say it was spectacular. With no offence to any of the brilliant actors in the movie it has to be said that… erm… they really belong on the smaller screen. I had a touch too much time on my hands on the weekend so I actually watched the directors commentary on the DVD. I’m a total SATC Geek. It was awesome. Here is what I learned.

1. The tie dye maxi dress that Carrie wears in the lounge room scene with Mr Big when they are discussing the wedding was accidently sent early to a photo shoot in Mexico before they finished filming the scene. So they sent an assistant to Mexico to wait at the photo shoot, literally snatched the dress off the model and flew it back to New York. Apparently she had time for one cocktail in Mexico before her flight back.

2. The little red haired boy that plays Brady is actually the baby Brady from the series all grown up! The director called him back in for the movie and nearly cried because he still looked like Steve and Miranda.

3. The director always had African American women approaching him, saying how much they loved the series but kept asking – Where are the sisters? So he made the decision to cast Jennifer Hudson as Louis so there would be an African American representative in the film that was lacking in the series.

4. The clock that was beside Carrie’s bed for the whole series was actually RENTED from a guy who owned a collectables store. When they called to rent it again for the movie the clock owner tried to cash in on the big bucks so the producers told him to shove it and they found the exact same one on Ebay for $40.

5. Steve was really loved by audiences and when plans for the movie were discussed the director had heaps of mail requesting that nothing bad happen to Steve. So he had Steve do something bad instead.

6. It was a conscious decision to have Carrie in dark clothes for the middle ‘mourning’ part of the movie to allow for the gorgeous unveiling of the blue dress at Charlotte’s baby shower where Carrie really recovers from being jilted. Also when SJP dyes her locks dark… it’s actually a wig!

7. Aside from the fact that it was bloody good fun the reason behind the ‘wedding dress montage’ was purely people pleasing. The director knew that everyone would have a perfect Carrie Bride in their head because they had invested so much in the series and in Carrie as a character and he felt that everyone needed to see their ‘own’ Carrie Bride represented. I think it was an excellent choice.

8. When the Vivienne Westwood dress arrives at Carrie’s house as a gift from the designer… the hand writing is actually that of the gorgeous Ms Westwood. Fabulous.

9. When Carrie and Miranda have the fight and then they talk about it out the front of Carrie’s house in the cab in the rain, the Indian cab driver nodding along silently is the same cab driver that was used in series two when they had the ‘Up the butt’ conversation in the cab. Awesome.

10. Charlotte goes jogging in Chanel earmuffs.

11. The hat that Carrie wears in Mexico is by Hermes and was, for some unknown reason really valuable, so it arrived on the set with a personal guard and was whisked away seconds after they wrapped the scene. Weird.

12. When Patricia Field wanted to symbolise the unity of the girls she dressed them all in similar colours at the same time. Like at the fashion show when they are all happy and they have their lives together. They are all dressed in greys, blacks and whites.

13. When they were shooting the ‘I curse the day you were born!’ scene with Charlotte’s water breaking out the front of the resturant there was a fire drill across the road at the catholic girls school and all these wool kilted teenagers came screaming out of the building saying ‘We love you Mr Big! We love you Mr Big!’. So Chris Noth turned around and said ‘Shouldn’t you be in school?’ and one of the girls replied ‘Abso-fuckin-lutely!’. Gold.

14. Patricia Field had a pink tie and a blue tie all ready for Harry to wear depending on whether the baby was a girl or boy. She only found out it was a girl a few minutes before the scene.

15. The song playing at the end of the film was sung was Jennifer Hudson.

I highly recommend watching the director’s commentary. It’s going to be my new eccentric habit!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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Daily Style – Perfect Melbourne Weekend

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I had the most perfect Melbourne weekend starting with a trip to the gallery to have lunch with Roomy Smaggle which resulted in much giggling and sexy note swapping with the cafe staff. I also saw the Ron Mueck exhibition. Everyone needs to see this, it’s exceptional. Following that I had an impromptu date with Mr Smaggle’s bestie drinking tea and chatting then had drinks and dinner on Brunswick Street with Co-Dependant Smaggle. I’m like, so cosmopolitan right now.

* Dress from Maxine’s on Brunswick Street. This store is a hidden gem. It looks like a hippy shop but there is more than meets the eye. Trust me.

* Shoes thrifted in Canberra.

* Wheelie bin necklace from Roomy Smaggle.

* Flower necklace from Browny.

* Coin necklace from Poppy Smaggle.

* Men’s watch from Fossil.

* Scarf from Sportsgirl.

Right now I’m trying not to move lest I sweat in this hideous heat. Then tonight I’m off to hang with the Underbelly crew to watch So You Think You Can Dance and The Biggest Loser. It’s our Sunday night crap fest.
What about you lover? What have you been up to?

Also, if you’re a Canberra reader don’t forget to enter my giveaway!

Love Lady Smaggle
xxx

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